Barb Rivoire cycles across Canada for her 50th birthday and Canada’s 150th , hoping to inspire Citizens to become Canadian FitiZens ! Here is her story…

This June 3rd on National Health and Fitness Day, I will begin my dream adventure of cycling across Canada from Vancouver, BC to St John’s, Newfoundland which I am calling “The Canadian FitiZen Project”. When I was in my twenties I made a commitment to cycle across Canada for my 50th birthday. My passion for cycling and my dream to travel across our diverse country is how this came to mind. Looking back, I always knew that the right time for me would be when I turn 50 and Canada celebrated its’ 150 years of Confederation. In celebrating my 50th and Canada’s 150th, I plan on riding 50 days with days off throughout the tour to see Canada’s National Parks. I will be averaging 150 km’s of pedal power a day riding over 7,500km to make it to St John’s Newfoundland by the end of August. I hope you will join me on this journey of our great nation in fitness and health.

The Canadian FitiZen 150 Challenge:
Our Canadian physical activity reports are rated poorly showing that only 9% of our child/youth population and 18% of adults is active enough for better health. It is recommended that children and youth are at a minimum moderately active 60 minutes a day and adults should accumulate 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.
Living a healthy lifestyle is important to me and I understand the impact it has on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. At a young age I chose the career path of working in the health and wellness industry. In celebration of Canada 150 and my 30 years of guiding others to strive for better health, I would like to dedicate this ride to inspire Canadians to be more active and live with vitality by participating in “The Canadian FitiZen 150 Challenge”. This is a motion that includes 50 active days over a 10 week period at a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity during the summer of 2017. My vision for this motion is that we inspire each other to move toward our wellness goals, for better health. Let’s go Canadian Citizens…. become a Canadian FitiZen and join the 150 Challenge.

YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign:
I have had the opportunity to work at a local Fredericton YMCA since 2009, where I have met many wonderful people in the community. Sharing the same values as the Y, I felt it was the right fit to be a part of this organization.
During my time away from the road in each of the provinces, I will be inviting others to join me in a Canadian inspired community yoga class with contributions going to support the Y’s Strong Kid’s Campaign. These classes will take place at local YMCA’s across the country. Join my FB Page @ #CANRIDE150 and checkout the local Y’s FB pages on my route across Canada for updates on when and where these classes will be taking place. YMCA Strong Kids is a fundraising campaign focused on raising much needed resources to give kids the opportunities they need to live healthier, happier lives, today and in the future. Follow the link to learn more about how this campaign helps build healthy communities.
http://ymca.ca/Get-Involved/Donate/YMCA-Strong-Kids-Campaign

Pedaling Full Circle on the Road to Resilience:
Our mental health matters! Families have and do struggle with the effects of mental illness as statistics show 1 in 5 Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime. Mental illness has affected me personally and my family. I am aware that many people struggle in silence as it is an illness that is hard to talk about and to understand. Riding my bike is something I often call soul cycling and has helped me physically, mentally and emotionally as it gives me a sense of freedom, strength and being in the present moment. Pedaling full circle on the road to resilience, I will be raising funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association by doing some fund raising events before and after the ride. Follow the CMHA link to donate or to find your local mental health center for guidance on support programs. http://www.cmha.ca/

Thank you for joining me on this ride…FB page CANRIDE150 Website: CANRIDE150.com